Regional HS Rankings: Week 2

Welcome to week two of Regional High School Rankings. Each week we will rank the top 20 teams in each geographic region. How do we do it? Take a look at our criteria.

Primarily, we cross-reference each region with our National HS Rankings to identify the teams that are ranked in our top 100. We examine a team’s current record and body of work in regards to strength of schedule and whether they play ranked opponents in other regions. Then we research state rankings, quality, and depth of the returning roster, and history of success. We also take into consideration input from coaches within the region.

Now let’s get to the exciting part… This week’s rankings! We’ve been staring at the calendar impatiently, waiting for every state to start play and we are almost at full launch. Let’s take a look.

The Penfield Tournament gave us our first look at what the state of New York Had to offer. Our Lady of Mercy made a splash, starting off the season winning the tournament and not dropping a match in the process. The Monarchs jumped to the top spot in the Northeast Region by taking down a number of formidable foes in Victor, Irondequoit, and Gates–Chili.

New Jersey’s finest will have their chance to prove their worth. The Jersey Classic will hopefully pit Immaculate Heart Academy against some challenging teams. At the same time, Old Tappan and Demarest will be competing to win the top spot at the Hendrick Hudson tournament tomorrow. They’ll be competing with a strong host in Hendrick Hudson and a fierce Shenendehowa team that is coming off a great showing at the Penfield Tournament. Shen got as far as the gold semi-finals where they met their exit at the hands of Gates-Chili in a three-set thriller.

Green Hope remains undefeated in the region with wins against North Raleigh Christian Academy and Nation Ford. But the most interesting story so far is Wando High’s undefeated record of 12-0, with none of their victories on their home court, including winning the Gold Finals at Border Wars. Nation Ford is still hanging in there after taking losses from Green Hope, Cardinal Mooney, and Marist. Panther Creek will look to avenge their loss in last year’s North Carolina state finals against Green Hope this upcoming Tuesday.

The South Region

(Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi)

#1 Alpharetta (Alpharetta, Georgia)

Current
Record: 17-1

#2 McIntosh (Peachtree City, Georgia)

Current
Record: 10-1

#3 Steinbrenner (Lutz, Florida)

Current
Record: 8-2

#4 Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, Florida)

Current
Record: 6-2

#5 Walton (Marietta, Georgia)

Current
Record: 9-3

#6 Pace Academy (Atlanta, Georgia)

Current
Record: 9-5

#7 Trinity Catholic (Ocala, Florida)

Current
Record: 2-1

#8 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Florida)

Current
Record: 3-0

#9 McGill Toolen (Mobile, Alabama)

Current
Record: 9-5

#10 Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Alabama)

Current
Record: 7-4

#11 Jasper (Jasper, Alabama)

Current
Record: 22-2

#12 Bayside Academy (Daphne, Alabama)

Current
Record: 15-3-3

#13 Hazel Green (Hazel Green, Alabama)

Current
Record: 18-4

#14 Spanish Fort (Spanish Fort, Alabama)

Current
Record: 11-5

#15 Hagerty (Oviedo, Florida)

Current
Record: 2-1

#16 Harrison (Kenesaw, Georgia)

Current
Record: 18-11

#17 Saint Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

Current
Record: 7-1

#18 Bishop McLaughlin (Spring Hill, Florida)

Current
Record: 7-0

#19 Pope John Paul II (Boca Raton, Florida)

Current
Record: 2-3

#20 Plant (Tampa, Florida)

Current Record: 4-4

Alpharetta is the surprise team of the conference beating McIntosh and Pace Academy, and stealing a set away from Marist. What’s unique about teams like Plant and Harrison is that both teams have extremely tough schedules, specifically Harrison. The Hoyas have played Walton, Marist, Pace Academy (who they split with), Alpharetta, Nation Ford, Steinbrenner, Cardinal Mooney, Plant, and Saint Thomas Aquinas. That is one bold schedule with plenty of season to go.

The Midwest Region

(Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennesee)

#1 New Castle (New Castle, Indiana)

Current
Record: 5-0

#2 Assumption (Louisville, Kentucky)

Current
Record: 6-0

#3 Marist (Chicago, Illinois)

Current
Record: 7-0

#4 Sterling (Sterling, Illinois)

Current
Record: 6-2

#5 Padua Franciscan (Parma, Ohio)

Current
Record: 4-0

#6 Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Current
Record: 6-0

#7 Benet Academy (Lisle, Illinois)

Current
Record: 7-0

#8 Mercy Academy (Louisville, Kentucky)

Current
Record: 6-1

#8 Center Grove (Greenwood, Indiana)

Current
Record: 7-2

#9 Cedar Falls (Cedar Falls, Iowa)

Current
Record: 8-0

#10 Providence (Clarksville, Indiana)

Current
Record: 9-0

#11 Mount Notre Dame (Cincinatti, Ohio)

Current
Record: 5-1

#12 Lafayette (Wildwood, Missouri)

Current
Record: 3-0

#13 St. Teresa’s Academy (Decatur, Illinois)

Current
Record: 3-1

#14 Ankeny Centennial (Ankeny, Iowa)

Current
Record: 5-1

#15 Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Kentucky)

Current
Record: 9-3

#16 Paul Lawrence Dunmar (Lexington, KY)

Current
Record: 8-1

#17 Saint Ursula Academy (Toledo, Ohio)

Current
Record: 6-0

#18 Sandburg (Orland Park, Illinois)

Current
Record: 7-0

#19 Lincoln (Council Bluffs, Iowa)

Current Record: 5-0

#20 Greenwood (Bowling Green, Kentucky)

Current Record: 6-0

New Castle, Assumption, and Marist remain undefeated in the Midwest Region. Assumption will host their annual tournament this upcoming weekend and there are bound to be some big games, barnburners, and upsets. A couple of Atlantic Coast teams crashing the party will be Walton and Green Hope. Look for our preview this week.

The Upper Midwest Region

(Michigan,
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)

#1 Mercy (Farmington Hills, Michigan)

Current Record: 12-0

#2 Eagan (Eagan, Minnesota)

Current
Record: 3-0

#3 Hudsonville (Hudsonville, Michigan)

Current Record: 12-1

Current
Record: 5-0

#4 Paul River Falls (River Falls, Wisconsin)

Current
Record: 10-0

#5 Arrowhead (Hartland, Wisonsin)

Current
Record: 7-1

#6 Wayzata (Plymouth, Minnesota)

Current
Record: 4-0

#7 Oconomowoc (Oconomowoc, Wisonsin)

Current
Record: 7-1

#8 Grand Rapids Christian (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Current Record: 5-0

#9 Brookfield Central (Brookfield, Wisconsin)

Current
Record: 8-0

#10 Century (Bismark, North Dakota)

Current
Record: 4-1

#11 Lakeville South (Lakeville, Minnesota)

Current
Record: 2-1

#12 Watertown (Watertown, South Dakota)

Current Record: 7-0

#13 Stillwater (Stillwater, Minnesota)

Current
Record: 1-3

#14 O’Gorman (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

Current
Record: 4-1

#15 Joliet Catholthic Academy (Joliet, Illinois)

Current
Record: 6-1

#16 Bismarck (Bismarck, North Dakota)

Current Record: 5-3

#17 Mabel-Canton (Mabel, Minnesota)

Current
Record: 12-0

#18 Mattawan (Mattawan, Michigan)

Current
Record: 9-0

#19 Hudsonville (Hudsonville, Michigan)

Current
Record: 10-1

#20 Altoff Catholic (Belleville, Illinois)

Current Record: 3-0

Juliet Catholic has been quietly putting together a nice little season so far especially after starting off with a win of Mother McCauley. It will be interesting to see how they perform this weekend at the West Aurora Tournament and then next week when they take on #28 in the country Benet Academy on Tuesday the 10th.

Great Plains Region

(Colorado,
Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah)

#1 Papillion-LaVista (Papillion, Nebraska)

Current Record: 8-0pa

#2 Millard North (Omaha, Nebraska)

Current
Record: 6-4

#3 Elkhorn South (Omaha, Nebraska)

Current
Record: 8-0

#4 Millard West (Omaha, Nebraska)

Current
Record: 2-0

#5 Legend (Parker, Colorado)

Current
Record: 5-1

#6 Cherokee Trail (Aurora, Colorado)

Current Record: 5-1

#7 Chaparral (Parker, Colorado)

Current
Record: 5-2

#8 Rampart (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Current
Record: 2-0

#9 Saint Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kansas)

Current
Record: 1-1

#10 Lansing (Lansing, Kansas)

Current
Record: 3-1

#11 Saint James Academy (Lenexa, Kansas)

Current
Record: 1-0

#12 Lone Peak (Lone Peak, Utah)

Current
Record: 1-0

#13 Valor Christian (Lands Ranch, Colorado)

Current
Record: 3-0

#14 Lincoln Pius X (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Current
Record: 3-1

#15 Northwestern Area (Mellette, South Dakota)

Current
Record: 8-0

#16 Washington (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

Current Record: 2-2

#17 Fargo-Davies (Fargo, North Dakota)

Current
Record: 7-1

#18 Richfield (Richfield, Utah)

Current
Record: 12-1

#19 Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colorado)

Current Record: 2-1

#20 Union (Roosevelt, Utah)

Current Record: 13-1

Millard North and West are off to great beginnings this season. But it is Papillion -LaVista that is above the rest in the region. Defeating SkuttCatholic and Millard North without dropping a set is a good sign of what is to come for the Monarchs.

The Southwest Region

(Arizona,
Arkansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas)

#1 Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas)

Current
Record: 23-1

#2 Flower Mound (Flower Mound, Texas)

Current
Record: 22-3

#3 Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas)Current Record: 28-4

#4 The Woodlands (The Woodlands, Texas)

Current
Record: 30-2

#5 Plano West (Plano, Texas)

Current
Record: 23-4

#6 Ridge Point (Missouri City, Texas)

Current
Record: 26-4

#7 Prosper (Prosper, Texas)

Current
Record: 11-7

#8 Randall (Amarillo, Texas)

Current
Record: 17-3

#9 Lake Ridge (Mansfield, Texas)

Current
Record: 27-4

#10 Dawson (Pearland, Texas)

Current
Record: 27-4

#11 Guyer (Denton, Texas)

Current
Record 19-4

#12 Hamilton (Chandler, Arizona)

Current
Record: 1-0

#13 Perry (Gilbert, Arizona)

Current
Record: 1-0

#14 Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas)

Current
Record: 23-10

#15 Reagan (San Antonio, Texas)

Current
Record: 22-7

#16 Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas)

Current
Record: 18-5

#17 Gregory-Portland (Portland, Texas)

Current
Record: 26-4

#18 Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Arkansas)

Current
Record: 0-0

#19 Mansfield (Mansfield, Texas)

Current
Record: 25-7

#20 Dripping Springs (Dripping Springs, Texas)

Current Record: 23-10

Some might say the Southwest Region is just a little bit Texas dominant. But none have been more dominant than Byron Nelson this season. The Bobcats take on a very tough #15 Lovejoy on Tuesday.

The Northwest Region

(Alaska,
Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming)

#1 Bonneville (Idaho Hills, Idaho)

Current
Record: 3-0

#2 Weston-McEwen (Athena, Oregon)

Current
Record: 6-0

#3 Kelly Walsh (Casper, Wyoming)

Current
Record: 0-0

#4 West Valley (Yakima, Washington)

Current
Record: 0-0

#5 Richland (Richland, Washington)

Current
Record: 0-0

#6 Kentridge (Kentridge, Washington)

Current
Record: 0-0

#7 West Linn (West Linn, Oregon)

Current
Record: 0-0

#8 Jesuit (Portland, Oregon)

Current
Record: 2-0

#9 Madison (Rexburg, Idaho)

Current
Record: 0-0

#10 Central Catholic (Portland, Oregon)

Current
Record: 0-0

#11 Mount Spokane (Mead, Washington)

Current
Record: 1-0

#12 Cokeville (Cokeville, Wyoming)

Current
Record: 0-0

#13 Century (Pocatello, Idaho)

Current
Record: 0-0

#14 West Valley (Yakima, Washington)

Current
Record: 0-0

#15 Pine Bluffs (Pine Bluffs, Wyoming)

Current
Record: 7-1

#16 Thunder Basin (Gillette, Wyoming)

Current
Record: 3-3

#17 Corvallis (Corvallis, Oregon)

Current
Record: 0-0

#18 Mountainside (Beaverton, Oregon)

Current
Record: 1-0

#19 Sheldon (Eugene, Oregon)

Current
Record: 3-0

#20 Olympia (Olympia, Washington)

Current Record: 0-0

The West Region

(California,
Hawaii)

#1 Redondo Union (San Diego, California)

Current
Record: 11-0

#2 Mater Dei (San Diego, California)

Current
Record: 3-1

#3 Torrey Pines (San Diego, California)

Current
Record: 9-0

#4 Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, California)

Current
Record: 6-2

#5 Marymount (Los Angeles, California)

Current
Record: 4-0

#6 Marin Catholic (Kentfield, California)

Current
Record: 1-0

#7 Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (San Francisco, California)

Current
Record: 6-2

#8 Foothill (Santa Ana, California)

Current
Record: 5-1

#9 Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, California)

Current
Record: 6-2

#10 Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo, California)

Current
Record: 7-3

#11 Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, California)

Current
Record: 1-1

#12 Kamehameha (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Current
Record: 13-0

#13 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California)

Current
Record: 11-1

#14 Ontario Christian (Ontario, California)

Current
Record: 7-0

#15 Chaparral (Temecula, California)

Current
Record: 14-1

#16 Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, California)

Current
Record: 10-4

#17 San Juan Hills (San Juan Capistrano, California)

Current
Record: 10-1

#18 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, California)

Current
Record: 7-7

#19 Liberty (Bakersfield, California)

Current
Record: 9-1

#20 Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Current
Record: 8-4

This
week brought us an amazing match between #1 Redondo Union and
Mater Dei. A five set thriller ensued, during which Mater Dei
had match point in the third set. What would have been an amazing
sweep turned out to be sour grapes for the Monarchs as the top team I
nthe country battled back to win the set 29-27 and the match. With
Redondo’s Kami Miner away in Egypt playing for the USA youth
national team, Redondo still found a way to pull off the victory
thanks to Texas commit Nalani Iosia, who would normally
dawning the libero jersey. Her leadership running the offense in the
absence of their starting setter. Another big story was the freshman
phenom Mele Corral-Blagojevich. Only fourteen years of age and
she manager to tally 17 kills and maintain the demeanor of a veteran
all-star.